A year and a half after Columbia Packing Company shuttered facilities near downtown following the discovery of pig blood being dumped into Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River, it has received the city's permission to reopen its doors. But the company, which is owned and operated by the Ondrusek family, can only do so as a meatpacking and distribution facility, according to city attorneys. Columbia Packing still can't operate as a slaughterhouse.

"We are moving forward to serve our customers, provide much-needed jobs and continue as an asset to the community,” said Joseph Ondrusek Sr., a grandson of the company’s founder, in a prepared statement. “Our family has provided customers with high-quality products in a safe and responsible manner for 100 years. All we’ve ever wanted is to resume our packing and distribution business, and we’re pleased that this agreement with the city is making it happen.”

Thus ends the litigation filed by Columbia Packing on April 27, 2012, after the city yanked its certificate of occupancy, claiming that Columbia Packing was operating a "nonconforming slaughterhouse" on the premises. Columbia said it had shuttered its slaughterhouse on January 19, 2012, but was within its rights to keep processing and distributing meat on East 11st Street. City attorneys disagreed, as did the Board of Adjustment.

As Columbia worked to bring its 80-year-old facility back into compliance, its battle with the city was often contentious. City attorneys regularly sent inspectors to the property, which the Ondruseks and their attorneys felt was "aggressive and heavy-handed."

The first week in May, for example, the city dispatched a HazMat unit to inspect an unpermitted building on the property. City attorneys told The Dallas Morning News at the time that they wanted to make sure there was "nothing that could blow up" and no further "lurking danger" on the property. But in the end, city attorneys said then, the trip was "uneventful" as inspectors found "nothing to abate."

Michael Hurst, Columbia Packing's attorney, spoke with The Dallas Morning News immediately after that visit and said the city was playing "a game of Whac-A-Mole" with the meatpacker.

Today's announcement puts an end to that acrimony.

"During the last 14 months, the City and Columbia have worked diligently towards bringing the facility, including the structures, equipment and operations, into compliance with applicable laws," said First Assistant City Attorney Chris Bowers in a statement sent to The News. "As a result, Columbia has brought all of its structures into compliance with city code, demolished its unpermitted structures, and obtained city and state permits for its air emissions, stormwater discharges and waste water discharges. Upon the completion of the facility’s final health and safety inspection yesterday, Columbia received its certificate of occupancy to resume its meat packing and distribution operations at the facility."

But there are still criminal charges pending against Carl and Rusty Ondrusek, executives at Columbia Packing, and against the company itself. In December 2012, a Dallas County grand jury charged Columbia Packing and the two men with pollution and evidence-tampering charges, with $1.5 million in fines and prison time at stake for those involved. A trial is set for August, but settlement discussions with Dallas County prosecutors are ongoing, said defense attorney Tom Mills.

During its fight with the city, Columbia Packing hasn't been completely closed: It has been operating a meatpacking, processing and distribution facility outside of Sulphur Springs. The 11th Street facility also remained open, but only for administrative purposes.

"It has been very gratifying to maintain contact with many of our longtime employees who unfortunately lost their jobs when we suspended operations last year,” said Joseph Ondrusek Sr. in his statement. “We hope most of them will return to work with us, as we greatly appreciate their skills and customer relationships.”